Boogie Wonderland

Grooving the night away at Timbre Rock and Roots

Day two of Timbre Rock & Roots 2012 kicked off with the group Andre Harihandoyo & Sonic People, playing against a backdrop of Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore flyer.

Checkpoint Jam took the stage next, a neighbourly collaboration between Singapore and Malaysia featuring local favorite Goodfellas with covers like Moves Like Jagger, reinforced by Malaysian singer Dasha Logan’s refreshingly powerful vocals.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Wong

As night fell, musician-songwriter Hugo, who was born in England and raised in Thailand, took the stage. Accompanied by his band, he belted out an array of songs like a number sang partially in Thai, and his own remake of Jay-Z’s 99 Problems.

Photo credit: Aloysius Lim

But it was returning act Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue that really got the crowd on their feet with their catchy tunes. While they were let down by a faulty sound system, the band delivered an energetic performance, literally bounding offstage for numbers Suburbia and On Your Way Down.

Closing act Earth, Wind and Fire, who rounded up the festival, were the showstoppers for the night. The 60s American soul-funk band, who has six Grammy awards under their belt and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, delighted old fans and new followers alike with classics like Boogie Wonderland and September.

Photo credit: Aloysius Lim

“I’ve loved Earth, Wind and Fire since I was in senior high school,” shares Ms Any Herawati Philips, “Their vocals and dance moves may not be as powerful as before, but their music and voices are still as good,” said the 51-year-old housewife.

Ms Yen, who is in her 30s and self-employed, had similar sentiments. She discovered the band about six months ago on Youtube, and liked their songs so much, she decided to catch them live.

As Timbre Rock and Roots wound down after two nights of local and international music, we look forward to next year’s Rock & Roots festival in a manner best echoed by Trombone Shorty.

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